Happy St. Patrick's Day from Santa Anita!

Everyone's a bit Irish on St. Paddy's Day, especially at the racetrack. It's hard to find a more superstitious crowd than the horsey set, nor one that believes more fervently in luck. With St. Patrick's Day falling on a dark day (no racing) this year, Santa Anita was all decked out on Saturday instead.

As is the annual custom, the fountains were turned bright shamrock green. Hornblower Jay Cohen donned a green jacket for the day and treated the crowd to some Irish tunes. And Santa Anita's Bobby Warren (of the Operations Department) dressed up in his traditional leprechaun outfit to assist with the much-anticipated St. Pat's Pitch -- a horseshoe throwing contest in which several lucky fans get the chance at winning one million dollars. No one threw a ringer this year.

Of course, all this was secondary entertainment to an exciting race card, including the San Felipe Stakes, won by California Derby hopeful Pioneer of the Nile. The "luck of the Irish" smiled on many in the crowd, as the 1 to 9 shot romped home for the win.

Pioneer of the Nile Heads Field for San Felipe Stakes

A field of seven Derby hopefuls entered for Saturday’s Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1-1/16 miles at Santa Anita, including the west coast’s leading Derby candidate, Pioneer of the Nile.

The San Felipe is considered the final steppingstone to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 4. The race is named for Valle de San Felipe Rancho, an 1846 land grant made to Felipe Castillo and located in San Diego County.

In its 71-year history, ten San Felipe winners have gone on to take the Santa Anita Derby: Your Host (1950), Determine (1954), Hill Rise (1964), Terlago (1970), Solar Salute (1972), Affirmed (1978), Sunday Silence (1989), Free House (1997), Point Given (2001), and Buddy Gil (2003). Determine, Affirmed, and Sunday Silence also went on to capture the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May.

Pioneer of the Nile will be seeking his third graded stakes win for trainer Bob Baffert and owner Zayat Stable. Already under his belt are victories in the CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park and Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. His regular jockey, Garrett Gomez, has the mount.

Here’s the entire field as listed on the overnight; however, it appears there will likely be some scratches, including that He's Really Big, New Bay, Feisty Suances and Kelly Leak.

The 72nd Running of the San Felipe Stakes (Grade II) $200,000 Guaranteed - One Mile And One Sixteenth Three-Year-Olds

PP Horse              Age Sex Wt   Jockey        Trainer
1  HE'S REALLY BIG     06  C  115  Gryder, A     Becerra, Rafael
2  PIONEEROF THE NILE  06  C  122  Gomez, G      Baffert, Bob
3  FEISTY SUANCES      06  C  115  Flores, D     Vienna, Darrell
4  SHAFTED             06  C  115  Rosario, J    Casse, Mark
5  JERANIMO            06  C  115  Blanc, B      Pender, Michael
6  KELLY LEAK          06  C  115  Espinoza, V   Machowsky, Michael
7  NEW BAY             06  C  115  Talamo, J     Mandella, Richard